School Bus Transportation Safety Initiatives
1. VIDEO CAMERAS
In the interest of safety and in an effort to reduce student discipline problems and vandalism on school buses, video camera surveillance systems have been placed on school buses under contract to the Boards.
2. REFLECTIVE TAPE
All of the school buses contracted by the Boards have been outfitted with reflective tape to improve visibility.
3. FIRST RIDER PROGRAM
The First Rider Program was developed to help the very young first time riders of school buses overcome any fears that they may have about riding a school bus. This is an opportunity to teach them about school bus safety. The First Rider Program is a community endeavor involving School Boards, City Police, O.P.P., City of Thunder Bay, Community Safety Groups, and School Bus Operators. It is held in August each year.
4. ROUTE AUDITS
Periodically throughout the school year, route audits are performed by the Transportation Department to ensure compliance with Board Policy. Examples of items that are examined include safety of stops, capacity, distance between stops, condition of roads and turnarounds, route efficiency, length and time of route and student and road eligibility.
Route Audits may result in changes to a route, ie, stops changed or deleted, times changed, etc. These changes may occur at any time during the school year. Affected students and parents will be contacted by STSTB or the school.
5. IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS
Periodically, unusual safety hazards need to be evaluated. This process is done in conjunction with Police Services, STSTB , school bus operators, and drivers. A consensus is reached and a written report on the situation will be kept on file.
6. DRIVER TRAINING
Not just anyone can get behind the wheel of a school bus. It takes someone quite out of the ordinary to control a vehicle safely, watch traffic and road conditions and at the same time manage a bus full of high-spirited passengers. School bus drivers have an extremely important job and responsibility. From the time the drivers make the first stop on the route until the last passenger disembarks, the safety of someone else's children is in their hands.
The legal requirements for becoming a licensed school bus driver are very demanding: between 20 and 40 hours of specialized training is followed by written exams and a road test in the bus. Driving and criminal records are reviewed and regular medical examinations are required.
Every driver must complete certified driver improvement courses, as well as know traffic laws and safety procedures thoroughly. Periodic re-examinations keep the school bus driver sharp and safety-wise.
7. RADIOS
Each school bus is equipped with a two-way radio giving the bus driver contact with their Operators or the STSTB office as needed.
8. CROSSING GATES
All of the buses employed by the Boards are equipped with a stop arm located at the front of the bus. This stop arm is activated when the bus is stopped and provides a guide for students crossing in front of school buses. It ensures students are the required 3 metres ahead of the bus when crossing.
9. STROBE LIGHTS
Some school buses travelling on our highways are equipped with strobe lights.
10. VISIBLE PARENT
A parent or guardian is required to meet the bus at the designated stop, be visible to the bus driver, or have a responsible sibling or caregiver there when Kindergarten students are being picked up and dropped off.
11. SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM
Member Boards' all participate in a safe arrival program. The Safe Arrival Program helps to ensure that all children who leave for school arrive at school safely. Parents' active participation in this program ensures the the program responds quickly to an emergency situation.
12. ID TAG PROGRAM
Each September new Junior Kindergarten students ride the bus to school for the first time. This program helps to alleviate any potentially confusing experiences for JK students on their first week of riding the bus. The use of ID TAG identification can be an effective way to improve safety and confidence. This method of identification ensures that bus drivers and teachers can readily identify new students that are riding buses for the first time..
13. EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROGRAM
All schools are required to provide training in emergency evacuation of a school bus to elementary students by October 31 of each new school year. Should an emergency arise in the P.M. where buses cannot deliver students home, each situation will be handled on a individual basis with all pertinent information posted/updated on the STSTB website.
STSTB's record for reliable school bus service is excellent. However, during poor weather conditions schedules for school buses cannot be guaranteed. During bad weather, a route can take up to 50 per cent longer or may even have to be cancelled. Throughout the school year, parents or guardians are responsible for making sure they have an alternate plan in place for their children in the event the school bus is late or does not arrive.
The final decision to send your child to the bus stop or school rests with you, the parent or guardian, even though the school buses and schools may be operational.
School bus service may be cancelled from time to time due to inclement weather and/or poor road
conditions.
1. Implementation Procedures Due to Inclement Weather
Emergency Process Starts by 5:30 a.m.
1.1 The bus operators will set up a network of driver contacts to ensure the reporting of all road
and weather conditions for all serviced areas. The driver contacts will advise the operators of
all dangerous weather and travel conditions.
1.2 The operators will gather information from the M.T.O., Local Roads Boards, rural bus drivers
and then contact the Consortia Officer, reporting conditions and their recommendation by 6:00
a.m. or before if possible.
1.3 Based on the data gathered from the bus operators, the Consortia Officer will decide whether to
cancel rural busing and the resulting impact of such cancellations on rural schools and rural
routes. Managers from respective School Boards will be then informed by the Consortia Officer.
1.3a Route cancellations will be confirmed with the Consortia Officer after consultation with senior Board officials.
1.4 This will affect the following Lakehead Public Schools rural schools, areas and routes.
1.5 A closure of Thunder Bay Catholic District District School Board Rural Routes will affect the routes from the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and CSDC des Aurores Boreales that are designated rural routes by the Boards.
1.6 Media notification will be made by fax and follow up phone calls by STSTB staff before
7:00 a.m. where possible. Parents, students and school staff are asked to access local radio
stations at 7:00 a.m. and after to receive bus cancellation information.
1.7 The Transportation Manager from Lakehead Public Schools will be responsible for
notifying the Superintendents of Lakehead Public Schools of the decision to terminate
busing. Superintendents or designates will be responsible for notifying Principals.
Notification to Principals should be no later than 7:00.
1.8 Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay Emergency Weather and School
evacuation Closure Number is 625-1661. School closure information is also available
from Lakehead Public School’s website at www.lakeheadschools.ca Thunder Bay
District Catholic School Board at www.tbcdsb.on.ca and CSDC des Aurores Boreales
at www.csdcab.on.ca. All information sources will be updated by STSTB staff
1.9 STSTB staff will cover the transportation office and radio communications.
1.10 Principals are expected to notify all staff of the decision to suspend busing and to ensure that any students who do arrive at school have safe keeping.
1.11 Routes that service urban schools from a rural area will not run in a rural closure. STSTB will identify these routes to the school by October 31 and the school will be responsible for notifying the parents.
1.12 When encountering minor deviations and impassable areas/routes, drivers are to
follow procedures in the “School Bus Transportation Instruction” booklet.
1.13 In the event of a system wide closure, the Consortia Officer or designate will contact
the School Boards representatives to recommend the total shutdown of area busing
system. The system wide closure of schools will be confirmed to the Consortia Officer
after consultation with the Senior Board Officials.
2. Situations Arising During School Hours
2.1 Should it be necessary to send bused students home during school hours in rural and/or
urban areas, principals will be notified no later than 11:00 a.m. where possible. In the
event of an emergency school closure, the Principal shall contact the necessary Board
Representatives and/or the STSTB office. Appropriate action will be coordinated between
Board representatives and STSTB office.
2.2 Upon notification to terminate busing during the school day, Principals are expected to
immediately start implementing their school emergency evacuation plan and to ensure that
all students have been evacuated safely.